Creative work shouldn’t be isolating. Sure, you might spend hours
alone in your room, working throughout the night, but does it stop there? Art is
about self-expression as well communicating with other people. It is a way to
project, validate voices, and bring people together. And that makes a
difference, which is why Roseli Ilado (of The Oasis for Girls Program) asked
The POC Zine Project to lead a zine workshop for a group of teenage girls.

The Oasis for Girls Program serves under-resourced young women
ages 11-24, and it empowers women by helping them reach their potential through
lifeskills, art, and career planning. The POC Zine Project validates zinesters
of color by archiving their work, and bringing visibility and awareness to a
multitude of artists. Together, they build on a common goal: celebrating all
the intelligence, talent, and strength these young women have to offer.

Seven teenage girls sat around a table and didn’t say a word. They
watched as Roseli introduced Itoro Udofu and myself as their guests. We
connected the projector, trying to ignore the fact that we were being assessed.
But that initial moment of tension and distrust didn’t last long. Roseli
created a level of comfort that encouraged the girls to speak and established a
feeling of solidarity.

The workshop started with a brief history of DIY Culture and zines.
We talked about self-publishing as a way of validating our thoughts, our
communities. We drew examples from work by Tomás Moniz, Mimi Thi Nguyen, and
Osa Atoe. The girls learned about a father who writes to help his daughters
stay strong and true to themselves, about a Professor who started off as a
zinester, and a musician who broke all expectations by creating the fanzine she
wanted see.

Photo credit: Itoro Udofia

The second part of the workshop started and ended with a circle. The
art and spirit that came out of it surprised us all. We asked the group, “If you could write about
anything, what would it be?” They response revolved around the topics we’re
told to ignore: race, sex, and poverty. Each girl had her own anecdote.
Everyone spoke. Everyone listened.

The girls were supposed to create two or three minis about the
most inspiration women in their lives. Most of the girls wrote about their
mothers, grandmothers and friends, others wrote about the things they had on
their mind. By the end of the workshop,
we went around the circle again. We shared our minis with each other, and
through those small folded pieces of paper, we unveiled stories, each one of
them just as unique and beautiful as the individuals in that room. I felt
privileged to be a part of that circle. This workshop reminded me that while art might empower, it truly
reaches its potential to change things when it brings people together. Art
isn’t a solitary thing.

For more information and contact details for the Oasis for Girls program visit them online; for tour dates, events, and news, visit The POC Zine Project's website and Facebook page.